Machine for packing eggs



July 25, 1961 H. J. MUMMA MACHINE FOR PACKING EGGS mum-PHI INVENTOR HAROLD J. MUMMA 18 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY M gr/q vwmx kilqfl Filed Dec. 20, 1954 ATTORNEY y 25, 1961 H. J- MUMMA 2,993,621

MACHINE FOR PACKING EGGS Ins :7 7 :5 HZTJHAROLD .1. MUMMA T'I E: 2 NW M Zn; 22v

July 25, 1961 H. J- MUMMA MACHINE FOR PACKING EGGS l8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 20, 1954 ab 24a gf INVENTOR HAROLD J. MUMMA ATTORNEY July 25, 1961 H. J. MUMMA 2,993,621

MACHINE FOR PACKING EGGS Filed Dec. 20, 1954 18 Sheets-Sheet 5 F'IB E I60 INVENTOR HAROLD J. MUMMA ATTORNEY July 25, 1961 H. J. MUMMA 2,993,621

MACHINE FOR PACKING EGGS Filed Dec. 20, 1954 18 SheetsSheet 6 INVENTOR HAROLD J. MUMMA BY MM ATTORNEY July 25, 1961 H. J. MUMMA MACHINE FOR PACKING EGGS INVENTOR HAROLD J. MUMMA 18 SheetsSheet 8 Filed Dec. 29, 1954 ATTORNEY July 25, 1961 H. J. MUMMA MACHINE FOR PACKING EGGS l8 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed Dec. 20, 1954 INVENTOR S,

HAROLD J. MUMMA ATTORNEY July 25, 1961 H. J. MUMMA 2,993,621

MACHINE FOR PACKING EGGS Filed Dec. 20, 1954 l8 Sheets-Sheet 10 F'II3 21 INVENTOR HAROLD J.MUMMA BY Wag W ATTORNEY July 25, 1961 H. J. MUMMA MACHINE FOR PACKING EGGS 18 Sheets-Sheet 11 Filed Dec. 20, 1954 F'IE| 21 F'IE 2'.E|

INVENTOR HAROLD J. MUMMA BY W v4. /q('fl- -hkw l/.

ATTORNEY July 25, 1961 H. J. MUMMA 2,993,621

MACHINE FOR PACKING EGGS Filed Dec. 20, 1954 1a Sheets-Sheet 12 INVENTOR HAROLD J. MUMMA ATTORNEY July 25, 1961 H. J- MUMMA MACHINE FOR PACKING EGGS 18 Sheets-Sheet 13 Filed Dec. 20, 1954 &506

INVENTOR F I E: q III HAROLD J. mum/a BYMM W- ATTORNEY July 25, 1961 H. J. MUMMA 2,993,621

MACHINE FOR PACKING EGGS Filed Dec. 20, 1954 18 Sheets-Sheet 14 I i i I I I I I 8 F 436 ATTORNEY July 25, 1961 H. .1. MUMMA MACHINE FOR PACKING EGGS 18 Sheets-Sheet 15 Filed Dec. 20, 1954 N00 mom INVENTOR HAROLD J. MUM MA ATTORNEY July 25, 1961 H. J. MUMMA MACHINE FOR PACKING EGGS 18 Sheets-Sheet 16 Filed Dec. 20, 1954 VOm P mom MOM INVENTOR f O m ATTORNEY July 25, 19 1 H. J- MUMMA 2,993,621

MACHINE FOR PACKING EGGS Filed Dec. 20, 1954 1s Sheets-Sheet 1v INVEN'I'OR HAROLD J. MUMMA ATTORNEY July 25, 1961 H. J. MUMMA 2,993,621

MACHINE FOR PACKING EGGS Filed Dec. 20, 1954 '18 Sheets-Sheet 18 INVEN'I'OR HAROLD J. MUMMA sv/ y ATTORNEY 2,993,621 Patented July 25, 1961 United States Patent Ofifice 2,993,621 MACHINE FOR PACKING EGGS Harold Momma, Riverside, Calif., assignor to Food Machinery and Chemical Corporation, San Jose, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 20, 1954, Ser. No. 476,128 6 Claims. (Cl. 221-210) The present invention relates to machines for packing eggs. More particularly the present invention relates to machines for packing eggs into containers that provide several parallel rows of pockets each adapted to receive an individual egg with its main axis disposed vertically. Containers of this type are usually made from papier-maohe and are generally known under the name filler. When filled with eggs, they are stacked in superposed tiers within boxes, crates or cases for shipping to distributors and retailers.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a machine that is operable to fill the individual pockets of a filler with eggs.

Another object is to provide a machine, of the type referred to, that is of simple construction yet dependable in operation.

Another object is to provide mechanism, in a magazine adapted to receive a stack of superposed fillers, that is dependably operable to discharge the fillers individually from the magazine onto a conveyor underneath.

Another object is to provide mechanism, in a magazine adapted to receive a stack of superposed fillers, that is operable to separate the fillers of the stack and to discharge them individually trom the magazine onto a filler supply conveyor underneath.

Another object is to provide a magazine that is adapted to receive a stack of superposed fillers and which is operable to positively deliver the lowest filler in the stack onto a conveyor underneath while dependably retaining the remaining fillers in the stack within the magazine.

Another object is to provide a machine, of the type referred to, that is operable to successively place the consecutive pocket rows of a filler delivered thereto into egg receiving position relative to the egg supply conveyor.

Another object is to provide a machine to which a stack of fillers is delivered and past which a procession of eggs may be conducted on a suitable conveyor and which is operable to separate the fillers from each other and place them with their pocket rows successively into egg receiving position below the conveyor so that the eggs may be dropped from the conveyor into the individual pockets of the fillers.

Another object is to provide a simple yet dependably operating conveyor for fillers.

These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of an egg packing machine embodying my invention.

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of the egg packing machine illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section through the egg packing machine taken along line 33 of FIG. 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrows associated with said line.

FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are fragmentary longitudinal sections through the egg packing machine taken along lines 44, 5-5, 66, and 77, respectively, of FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective of the magazine of the egg packing machine illustrated in FIG. 1 and of the power trains for the various movable components of said magazine.

FIG. 9 is an elevational detail view, partly in section,

of a clutch that is interposed in the power train of the filler supply conveyor comprised in the egg packing machine illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is an exploded fragmentary perspective of the clutch illustrated in FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a side elevational detail view of component mechanisms of said clutch.

FIG. 12 is a perspective of a filler of the type served by the egg packing machine of the invention.

FIGS. 13, 14 and 15 are fragmentary, end elevational detail views, largely in section, illustrating three consecutive stages in the operation of a mechanism for separating the individual fillers of a stack of fillers that has been placed into the filler magazine of the egg packing machine.

FIGS. 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 are fragmentary, end elevational detail views, partly in section, of mechanism for dispensing fillers from the magazine of the egg packing machine, illustrating a sequence of consecutive operational positions of said mechanism.

FIGS. 21, 22 and 23 are fragmentary perspectives illustrating three consecutive operational positions of the filler dispensing mechanism shown in FIGS. 16 to 20.

FIGS. 24 and 25 are vertical sections, similar to FIGS. 16 to 20 illustrating details of the same filler dispensing mechanism.

FIG. 26 is a perspective detail view illustrating a component in one of the power trains of the filler dispensing mechanism.

FIG. 27 is a fragmentary perspective illustrating a portion of the egg supply conveyor for the egg packing machine illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 28 is a perspective detail view illustrating one of the egg supporting buckets of the egg supply conveyor shown in FIG. 27.

FIG. 29 is a perspective view of control mechanism for the egg supply conveyor which operates to release eggs from the buckets of said egg supply conveyor at the proper time as they pass over a filler underneath.

FIG. 30 is a plan view, partly in section, of the control mechanism illustrated in FIG. 29.

FIG. 31 is a fragmentary side elevational detail view, partly in section, of one of the components of the control mechanism illustrated in FIGS. 29 and 30.

FIGS. 32 to 39, are diagrammatic plan views of the control mechanism illustrated in FIGS. 29 and 30, showing a sequence of consecutive operational positions thereof.

FIG. 40 is the electric circuit diagram of the egg packing machine of the invention.

FIGS. 41, 42, 43, 44 and 45 are fragmentary, diagrammatic perspectives of the egg packing machine illustrated in FIG. 1 showing a sequence of different operational positions thereof.

General construction of the machine The egg packing machine of the invention comprises a horizontally extending continuously advancing conveyor that carries the eggs to be packed in single file line to the actual packing station (FIGS. 1, and 41 to 45). It also comprises an intermittently operating filler supply conveyor 102 that extends below and at right angles to the egg supply conveyor at the actual packing station, and a filler magazine 104 that is disposed above said filler supply conveyor at a point in front of the egg supply conveyor and which is adapted to receive a stack of fillers F and is operable to drop them individually onto the tiller supply conveyor 102 for conveyance thereon into egg receiving position below the egg supply conveyor 100. With the aid of a control mechanism 105 the operation of the three component mechanisms 100, 102 and 104 is regulated in such a manner that above a filler positioned on filler supply conveyor 102, the egg supply conveyor 100 drops a num ber of eggs equal to the number of pockets comprised in each pocket row of the filler at points displaced in a direction longitudinally of the egg supply conveyor advance by a distance equal to the distance between the center points of the pockets in each filler pocket row, commencing from the downstream side .of the filler relative to the advance of the egg supply conveyor. Thereupon, the filler supply conveyor 102 is actuated to advance by a distance efiective to place the directly succeeding pocket row of the filler into egg receiving position below the egg supply conveyor, whereupon .Lhe egg upply conveyor is again caused to drop a number of eggs equal to the number of pockets comprised in each fill-er row at longitudinally displaced points in upstream direction commencing from the downstream side of the tiller; and at appropriate intervals corresponding to a number of advances of said filler supply conveyor equal to the number of pocket rows comprised in the processed fillers, the filler magazine 104 is actuated to drop an individual filler onto the filler supply conveyor 102.

The filler supply conveyor The filler supply conveyor 102 comprises an endless sprocket chain 106 (FIG. 3) trained around a trailing sprocket 108 and a leading sprocket 110. The trailing sprocket 108 is the drive sprocket of the conveyor and is firmly mounted upon a transverse shaft 112 that is rotatably, supported in a pair of vertically disposed transversely spaced side panels 114a and 1-14b which form part of the conveyor frame 115 and whose bottom edges are turned inwardly to form base flanges 116a and 11612 that maybe rigidly connected by suitable cross channels 118 and 119 to impart sturdiness to the structure (FIG. 2). The leading sprocket 110 is an idler sprocket and is rotatably mounted upon a transverse shaft 120 which is adjustably supported in another pair of transversely spaced vertically disposed side panels 122a and 1 22b whose bottom edges are likewise turned inwardly to form base flanges 124a and 124b, respectively, which are connected by a cross bar 125. Rigidly supported on and projecting outwardly from the. endless chain 106 are pairs of conieally shaped impeller members 126 (FIG. 3).

Egg holding fillers, of the type mentioned hereinbefore, are usually molded from papier mache and exhibit on their underside conical cavities or recesses 130 corresponding to the conical protrusions 132 on their upper side which define the egg supporting pockets 134 (FIG. 12); The conical impeller members 126 are arranged to engage the foremost center cavity and the rearmost center cavity. of the fillers as illustrated in FIG. 12, and the fillers slide upon pairs of longitudinally extending bars 136a, 1361) and 138a, 1381) that are disposed at either side of the upper run 140 of the conveyor chain 106. Said bars are mounted upon a base plate 142 of U-shaped cross section that rests upon the side panels 114a and 114b of the conveyor frame 115, and they extend all the 7 way to the leading end of the conveyor where they are suitably supported from the beforementioned side panels 122a and 1222:. Likewise supported from the side panels 114a, 1-14b and 122a, 122b is a guide bar 144, which lends support to the upper run 140 of the sprocket chain 106. The arrangement is such that the upper run 140 of the conveyor chain 106 extends along the central longitudinal groove on the under side of the filler, while the two supporting bars 136a, 138a and 136b, 138b at either side of chain 106 engage two longitudinal grooves of the filler on either side of its central groove.

To operate the filler supply conveyor, rotary power from a motor (not shown) which operates continuously during the performance of the machine, is applied to a sprocket 146 that is firmly mounted upon the laterally I projecting end of a sleeve .148 which turns upon the drive shaft 112 of the conveyor (FIGS. 2 and 9). Interposed between the sleeve 148 and the conveyor drive shaft 112 is a clutch 150 that is normally held in disengaged condition so that the filler supply conveyor 102 remains at rest, and which is briefly engaged whenever it is necessary to advance the filler supply conveyor to place a new pocket row of a filler thereon into egg receiving position relative to the egg supply conveyor 100.

Having reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, the sleeve 148 forms a radially enlarged head 152 around which is wound a coil spring 154. The trailing end of said spring (viewed in the direction of rotation of sleeve 148) is anchored in a disc 156 that is firmly mounted upon the conveyor drive shaft 112, while its leading end is anchored in a ratchet 158 that is rotatably supported upon the sleeve 148 by means of a ball bearing 160. Normally the ratchet 158 is held against rotation by means of a latching pawl 162 that is rotatably mounted upon a stub shaft 164 (FIG. 9) which projects from the inner surface of the side panel 114b, the nose 166 of said pawl being forced into engagement with one of the teeth of the ratchet 158 by means of a strong spring 168 (FIGS.

2 and 11). As long as the leading end of the hereinbefore mentioned spring 154 around sleeve head 152 is positively restrained from movement in the direction of rotation of sleeve 148 by its connection with the ratchet 158 in latched condition, while frictional engagement of said spring 154 with the head 152 of rotating sleeve 148 endeavors to impart rotation to said spring 154, the spring 154- is subjected to an unwinding stress which increases its diameter so that its turns lose contact with the head 152 of sleeve 148. As a result thereof, the sleeve 148 idles inetfectively within the spring 154 and the drive shaft 112 of filler supply conveyor 102 remains at rest.

However, whenever the pawl 162 is disengaged from the ratchet 153, the clutch spring 154 may contract to its normal diameter and grip the head 152 of sleeve 148;

a and asthe spring 154 tends to turn with the sleeve 148 while its trailing end is held back by the inertia of the conveyor mechanism in whose disc 156 it is anchored as explained hereinbefore, said spring 154 is subjected to a winding strain which reduces its diameter so that it clutches firmly the head 152 of rotating sleeve 148 and participates fully in the rotary movement thereof forcing the conveyor drive shaft 112 to follow suit. When rotation of the ratchet 158 is blocked by re-engagernent of the pawl 162 with a subsequent one of the ratchet teeth, the spring 154 is again subjected to an unwinding stress which interrupts the driving connection between the sleeve 148 and the conveyor drive shaft 112, and the conveyor comes to a halt. To prevent the conveyor 102 from overshooting its mark under its momentum when further rotation of the ratchet 153 is blocked by the pawl 162, the disc 156 is provided w th an adjustable stop member 157 that is arranged to strike against'a stop ledge 15? which is rigidly secured to and projects laterally from the ratchet 153 (FIGS. 9 and 10).

To disengage the pawl 162 from the ratchet 158 for the purpose of allowing the filler supply conveyor 102 to advance, a solenoid 170 (FIGS. 2 and 11) is arranged below said pawl 162. The normally projected armature 172 of said solenoid 170 is pivotally connected through a link 174 to the free end of pawl 162. Thus, whenever the solenoid 170 is energized and retracts its armature 172, it withdraws the nose 'of the pawl 162 from the ratchet 158 causing engagement of the clutch 150 in the manner described hereinbefore.

If the fillers form five consecutive pocket rows as illustrated in FIG. 12, the filler supply conveyor 102 must be arranged to advance four times by the relatively short distance that is necessary to place a directly succeeding pocket row into egg receiving position below the egg sup- 

